Dispensing container for rolled sheet material



May 26, 1964 H. N. HOLCOMBE DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1960 INVENTOR fLzrold M flalcom be,

y 25, 1964 H. N. HOLCOMBE 3,134,525

DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A5 a 55: f2;

I F'I Z5 Z2 LIr\55/Q\56 25 L 29 I I r 40 4/ INVENTOR 46 Harold AME 010011168,

ATTORNEY May 26, 1964 1-1. N. HOLCOMBE 3,134,525

DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR RQLLED SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 20, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,134,525 DESFENSENG CGNTAINER FUR RULLEE) SiflEET MATERIAL Harold N. Fiolconzbe, York, Pa, assignor to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ghio, a corporation of Ghio Filed Dec. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 77,945 2 Claims. (Cl. 225-47) The present invention relates to a dispenser container for rolled sheet material and in addition, to structural features providing means for facilitating the dispensing of plastic films which have an inherent afiinity for the container and cause dificulties in dispensing with heretofore known dispenser-containers.

Generally, there is provided a container of triangular transverse cross section formed from a single blank of cardboard or equivalent sheet material. The blank has scored lines defining folding panels and has locking tabs insertable in die cut slots for holding the container in assembled condition without the need of adhesive or other fastening means. One panel has fixed to its free edge,

a serrated cutter strip and is medially longitudinally creased so as to be foldable about the crease to dispose the cutter strip at and along the apex of the container; said panel lies flat against the inner face of the closure panel of the container during shipping and storage thereof, thus protectively enclosing the cutter strip within the container. A pair of triangular pieces of corrugated board is centrally apertured to receive the hub portions of outwardly flanged cup-shaped elements which serve as bearing posts for rotatably supporting the ends of rows of sheet material within the container. Resilient pads of anti-skid material may be adhered to the under surface of the base panel to prevent sliding of the container during the sheet severing operation. A handle may conveniently be provided for the container by cutting aligned inwardly bendable flaps in two panels defining the base and a sloping side panel.

It is an object of the invention to provide a combined container and dispenser for rolled sheet material, which container-dispenser is formed from a single blank of cardboard or equivalent sheet material and which is assembled by locking the folded panels thereof together by integral tabs inserted in die cut slots in the blank.

It is another object to provide such a device which is of triangular transverse cross section and in which the dispensing and cutting portions thereof are located at an apex of the container centered over the base thereof for stability against tipping during the sheet severing operation.

It is a further object to mount the sheet severing element on an edge of a panel that protectively lies within the container during shipping and storage and which is foldable about a scored mid line to position the severiug element at the container apex when set up for dispensing.

It is yet another object to provide a device of the character set forth in which the closure panel is held closed by a pair of tabs each undercut at one end and arcuately curved at the other end to facilitate insertion and removal of said tabs to and from closure fastening positions.

It is a further object to provide such a container dispenser having non-skid elements on its bottom panel adjacent its forward edge to prevent sliding of the container during sheet severing.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in con struction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efficient in use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:'

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the parts in shipping or storing arrangement;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the device set up for dispensing the sheet material;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the disclosure of FIGURE 2 in transverse section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view similar to FIG- UR E 3, taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the die cut blank from which the container is formed;

FiGURE 6 is a perspective view of the supporting members for the roll of sheet material;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assembled container and roll of sheet material, in section and taken on line 77 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating the initial steps of folding the blank to form the container;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 8 and showing the assemblage immediately prior to closing the container for shipping;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the completed and closed assemblage; and,

FIGURE 11 is an end elevational view of the assembled and closed container, partly broken away, to illustrate the use of the carrying handle construction.

With reference now to the drawings, the numeral It? generally designates the combined container and dispenser. Device 19 is formed basically from a single die cut blank generally designated 11 (FIGURE 5). Blank 11 is desirably simultaneously cut to the shape shown in FIGURE 5 and provided with indented score lines collectively designated by the numeral 12 which divide the blank 11 into hingedly connected panels and with integral tabs and cooperating slots for receiving the tabs for connecting the various panels in assembled relationship, as will hereinafter be fully described.

The large or approximately square blank portion or panel 13 constitutes the base panel of the container. Base or bottom panel 13 is hingedly connected by a scored fold line 14 to a sloping side panel 15 and along its opposite edge by the fold line 16 to the closure panel 17. The ends of the container are formed by the integrally adjoined triangular panels 18 and 19 foldably connected to the ends of the sidewall panel 15 by the scored fold lines 20 and 21. End panels 18 and 19 are similarly connected to triangular panels 22 and 23 along the fold lines 24 and 25, respectively. The fold lines 24 and 25 are interrupted by die cut tongues 26 and 27, which remain in the plane of panels 18 and 19, respectively, when panels 22 and 23 are folded at right angles to said panels. This construction provides slots into which the upturned tabs 28 and 2 9 are received to fasten the panels 13, 15, 1%, 1%, 22 and 23 in the container defining relativepositions best illustrated in FIGURE 8, with the panels 22 and Z3 lying flat against and reinforcing the end edges of bottom panel 13.

The end walls of the container are reinforced by a pair of triangular panels 30 and 31 joined to the panels 18 and 15 by the double fold lines 32 and 33. The double fold lines 32 and 33 are interrupted by the die cut tongues 34 and 35 which remain in the plane of panels 18 and 19 when panels 30 and 31 are folded inwardly and downwardly against the end panels 18 and 19 (as shown in FIGURE 8). The slots left by cutting the tongues 34 and 35 from the blank are adapted to unrolled from the container.

3 receive the closure anchoring tabs 36 and 37. The tabs 36 and 37 are deeply notched or undercut at 38 and 39 to produce the retaining tongues 40 and 41, respectively, which engage the upper portion of fold lines 24 and 25 to securely fasten the closure panel in the positions thereof shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

This operation ismade possible by the horizontally and medially disposed fold line 42 impressed into the closure panel 17 and about which the panel is bent to shorten the same to permit insertion of the ends of tongues 49 and 41 into their locking slots as illustrated in FIGURE 10. It should here also be noted that fastening tabs 28 and 39 are'also desirably undercut, but to lesser degrees, at 43 to provide tongues for preventing inadvertent displacement of the tabs 28 and 23 from the slots formed by the die cutting of tongues 26 and 27, as previously described.

An important aspect of the present invention lies in the construction and arrangement of the combined closure and cutter carrying panel 44 joined by the hinge providing fold line 45 to the apex edge of side panel 15. During transportation and storage of the combined container and dispenser, panel 44 lies extended in a single plane and flat against the under surface of closure panel 17, as best seen in FIGURE 4. A serrated cutting blade of strip metal or hard plastic material (designated by numeral 46) is fixed to the free edge of thepanel 44 as by the use of eyelet type rivets 47.

The panel 44 is desirably provided with a pair of finger receiving notches 48 to facilitate grasping and swinging panel 44 out of its storage position of FIGURE 4. The panel 44 is medially and horizontally creased at 49 so that when the container is being set up to serve as a dispenser, panel 44 may be folded about the line 49 to bring the cutter blade 47 into sheet severing position, as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. Panel 44 is then held in its folded or doubled position by closure panel 17 and its locking tabs 36 and 37, as shown in FIGURE 3..

The roll Sllof sheet plastic or other material is supported Within container 10 by a pair of cup-shaped elements formed of sheet metal or plastic. The hub portions 51 of said elements are snugly held in circular apertures formed centrally of the triangular pieces 52 of corrugated board or other suitable material. Integral flanges 53 formed on the rims of the hub portions 51 prevent inward displacement of said portions 51. The hubs 51 are of sufficient axial extent to extend through the supporting cardboard members 52 and into the ends of the paper or cardboard cylinder 54 upon which the plastic material 50 is wound or rolled in known manner. Hubs 51 thus form trunnion type bearing posts for supporting roll 50 for free and easy rotation as the sheet material is It should be noted that the upper edge of closure panel 17 terminates a sufficient distance from the upper edge of cutter strip 46 so as to leave at all times an easily grasped protruding end portions of the sheet material. The width of said protruding end portion is indicated by bracket 55 in FIGURE 2.

To prevent sliding of the dispensing container during the dispensing and severing operation just described, it is desirable to adhere to bottom panel 13 adjacent its forward edge, two or more anti-skid pads 55' of sponge rubber or equivalent surface gripping material.

' As a convenience of carrying the container, a pair of tongues 56 may be die cut in panels 13 and 15 on opposite and aligned sides of fold line 14, so that said tongues 56 may be pressed inwardly toward each other, as best seen in FIGURE 11 to permit insertion of the fingers of the users hands for convenient carrying of the dispenser container.

To convert the closed container of FIGURE 1 into the dispensing device of FIGURE 2, closure panel 17 is squeezed vertically and transversely so as to cause the mid portion thereof to buckle upwardly from the full line position to the broken line position shown in FIGURE 10.

4. This movement of the free end of closure panel 17 is made possible by the arcuate surfaces 57 on tabs 36 and 37, which arcuate surface assists in camming the tabs 36 and 37 by engagement of the arcuate surface 57 against the lower edge of their receiving slots adjacent tabs 34 and 35. When closure panel 17 is opened, the cutter carrying panel 44 is then doubled along its full line 49 into the relative position of the parts thereof shown in FIGURE 3. The doubled panel 44 is prevented from swinging downwardly into the interior of the container 10 by the engagement of its end portions against the edges of the roll supporting boards 52 (see FIGURE 9). Closure panel 17 is then returned into the enclosing and locking position of FIGURE 3, and the device is now set up for dispensing the sheet material as shown in FIGURE 2.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

hat is claimed is:

. 1. A combined container and dispenser for rolled sheet material, comprising: a container of triangular cross section, said container being formed of a single die cut blank of relatively stiff sheet material readily bendable along scored lines dividing said blank into edge joined container wall panels, two of said panels being rectangular and defining the bottom panel and an edge joined sloping side panel, a third rectangular panel joined to the other edge of said bottom panel by a hinge-forming scored line and serving as a closure panel for said container, a fourth rectangular panel edge joined to the upper margin of said sloping side panel, the free margin of said fourth rectangular panel being constructed and arranged to serve as a sheet severing cutting means protectively enclosed within said container when said fourth rectangular panel lies therewithin flat against the inner face of said closure panel, said fourth rectangular panel having a medially and horizontally disposed scored line whereby said panel can be folded outwardly and upwardly about said line to locate said cutting means adjacent the apex of said container for engagement with and severance of a sheet of said rolled material pulled outwardly thereover between said fourth panel and said closure panel, a plurality of triangular panels edge joined to each other and to certain ends of said rectangular panels and foldable to define end wall of said container, and integral tabs formed on said blank and cooperating with die cut slots in said blank to lock said panels in assembled and closed relative positions.

2. A combined container and dispenser for rolled sheet material comprising: a container of triangular cross section, said container being formed of a single die cut blank of relatively stiff sheet material readily bendable along scored lines dividing said blank into edge joined container wall panels, two of said panels being rectangular and defining the bottom panel and an edge joined sloping side panel, a third rectangular panel joined to the other edge of said bottom panel by a hinge-forming scored line and serving as a closure panel for said container, a fourth rectangular panel edge joined to the upper margin of said sloping side panel, the free margin'of said fourth rectangular panel being constructed and arranged to serve as a sheet severing cutting means protectively enclosed within said container when said fourth rectangular panel lies therewithin flat against the inner face of said closure panel, said fourth rectangular panel having a medially and horizontally disposed scored line whereby said panel can be folded outwardly and upwardly about said line to locate said cutting means adjacent the apex of said container for engagement with and severance of a sheet of said rolled material pulled outwardly thereover between said fourth panel and said closure panel, a plurality of triangular panels edge joined to each other and to certain ends of said rectangular panels and foldable to define end walls of said container, integral tabs formed on said blank and cooperating with die cut slots in said blank to lock said panels in assembled and closed relative positions, a pair of post-like bearing elements for supporting a roll of sheet material substantially coaxially of said container, and means supporting said bearing elements centrally of said end Walls, said last-mentioned means comprising triangular pieces of relatively stifi sheet material centrally apertured to receive said post-like elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Powell Feb. 14, 1933 McConnell May 3, 1938 Gluck May 9, 1950 Henry Mar. 4, 1958 

1. A COMBINED CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL, COMPRISING: A CONTAINER OF TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION, SAID CONTAINER BEING FORMED OF A SINGLE DIE CUT BLANK OF RELATIVELY STIFF SHEET MATERIAL READILY BENDABLE ALONG SCORED LINES DIVIDING SAID BLANK INTO EDGE JOINED CONTAINER WALL PANELS, TWO OF SAID PANELS BEING RECTANGULAR AND DEFINING THE BOTTOM PANEL AND AN EDGE JOINED SLOPING SIDE PANEL, A THIRD RECTANGULAR PANEL JOINED TO THE OTHER EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL BY A HINGE-FORMING SCORED LINE AND SERVING AS A CLOSURE PANEL FOR SAID CONTAINER, A FOURTH RECTANGULAR PANEL EDGE JOINED TO THE UPPER MARGIN OF SAID SLOPING SIDE PANEL, THE FREE MARGIN OF SAID FOURTH RECTANGULAR PANEL BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO SERVE AS A SHEET SEVERING CUTTING MEANS PROTECTIVELY ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER WHEN SAID FOURTH RECTANGULAR PANEL LIES THEREWITHIN FLAT AGAINST THE INNER FACE OF SAID CLOSURE PANEL, SAID FOURTH RECTANGULAR PANEL HAVING A MEDIALLY AND HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SCORED LINE WHEREBY SAID PANEL CAN BE FOLDED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY ABOUT SAID LINE TO LOCATE SAID CUTTING MEANS ADJACENT THE APEX OF SAID CONTAINER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AND SEVERANCE OF A SHEET OF SAID ROLLED MATERIAL PULLED OUTWARDLY THEREOVER BETWEEN SAID FOURTH PANEL AND SAID CLOSURE PANEL, A PLURALITY OF TRIANGULAR PANELS EDGE JOINED TO EACH OTHER AND TO CERTAIN ENDS OF SAID RECTANGULAR PANELS AND FOLDABLE TO DEFINE END WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, AND INTEGRAL TABS FORMED ON SAID BLANK AND COOPERATING WITH DIE CUT SLOTS IN SAID BLANK TO LOCK SAID PANELS IN ASSEMBLED AND CLOSED RELATIVE POSITIONS. 